Ultrasound imaging system including wireless probe tracking

ABSTRACT

Ultrasound imaging systems including transducer probes having wireless tags, and associated systems and methods, are described herein. For example, the wireless tags can store supplemental data about the transducer probes, and the ultrasound system can include a base unit configured to wirelessly communicate with nearby ones of the wireless tags to receive the supplemental data. The base unit can be further configured to display the transducer probes that are nearby. In some embodiments, the operator can filter or sort the displayed nearby transducer probes based on the supplemental data to identify a particular one of the nearby transducer devices that has one or more desired attributes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology relates to ultrasound imaging systems, and inparticular to systems including transducer probes having wireless tagsfor improving workflow within clinical settings.

BACKGROUND

In ultrasound imaging, an operator of an ultrasound system uses a probeto obtain data for ultrasound images of a patient during an imagingprocedure. Multiple probes may be compatible with the same system, and aparticular probe or probes may be more suitable for a certain imagingprocedure than other probes. Often, the operator is unaware that a moresuitable probe for the imaging procedure is nearby (e.g., in the sameroom as the ultrasound system). Alternatively, the operator may be awareof nearby probes that are available for use during the imagingprocedure, but unaware that a certain probe is more suitable for theprocedure than a probe they have selected for use during the imagingprocedure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified illustration of an ultrasound imaging systemconfigured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of various electronic components of theultrasound imaging system shown in FIG. 1 configured in accordance withan embodiment of the present technology.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method or process of locating or selectinga nearby transducer device for an ultrasound imaging procedure inaccordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Specific details of several embodiments of ultrasound systems havingwireless communication between a base unit and one or more probes aredescribed below. In some embodiments, for example, an ultrasound imagingsystem includes a plurality of transducer devices each having a wirelesstag storing data about the transducer device. The ultrasound systemfurther includes a base unit including a display, a memory storinginstructions, and a processor or logic circuitry. The processor or logiccircuitry can be configured to receive data from one or more of thewireless tags about nearby transducer devices located proximate to thebase unit. The processor or logic circuitry can further be configured toproduce a graphic on the display or other cue alerting a user of thedevice(s) that are located proximate to the base unit. In someembodiments, the graphic is a list that the operator may sort or filterbased on the data from the wireless tags in order to identify aparticular one of the nearby transducer devices that has a desiredattribute.

Certain details are set forth in the following description and in FIGS.1-3 to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of thepresent technology. In other instances, well-known components, devices,structures, materials, operations, and/or systems often associated withultrasound imaging systems are not shown or described in detail in thefollowing disclosure to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description ofthe various embodiments of the present technology. Those of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize, however, that the present technologycan be practiced without one or more of the details set forth herein, orwith other structures, methods, components, and so forth. The phrases“in some embodiments,” “according to some embodiments,” “in certainembodiments,” “in the illustrated embodiment,” “in other embodiments,”and the like generally mean the particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic following the phrase is included in at least oneimplementation of the present technology, and may be included in morethan one implementation. In addition, such phrases do not necessarilyrefer to the same embodiments or different embodiments.

The terminology used below is to be interpreted in its broadestreasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with adetailed description of certain examples of embodiments of thetechnology. Indeed, certain terms may even be emphasized below; however,any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner willbe overtly and specifically defined as such in this Detailed Descriptionsection.

I. SELECTED EMBODIMENTS OF ULTRASOUND SYSTEMS HAVING WIRELESS TAGS

FIG. 1 is a partial schematic illustration of an ultrasound imagingsystem 100 (“system 100”) for imaging a region of interest of a subjector patient 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the system 100 includes anultrasound transducer device or probe 110 a (“probe 110 a”) operablycoupled to a base unit 120 by a signal cable 130 a. The probe 110 aincludes a housing 112 (e.g., a molded plastic housing) having a scanhead region 114 that encloses a single movable transducer element or anarray of transducer elements. In some embodiments, the probe 110 a caninclude one or more buttons, triggers, touch sensors, or other inputdevices (not shown) configured, for example, to toggle power on or off,to put the system 100 in a run/standby state, or to perform otheroperations. The base unit 120 can be a hand-held, portable, orcart-based unit including a display 122 (e.g., a touchscreen display),one or more operator controls 124, and input/output ports (I/O) 126. Theoperator controls 124 can include, for example, buttons, knobs,switches, a keyboard, a touchscreen, etc. The I/O ports 126 can include,for example, audio, universal serial bus (USB), high-definitionmultimedia interface (HDMI) ports), EKG ports, etc.

During an ultrasound imaging procedure, an operator (e.g., a physician,sonographer, ultrasound technician, etc.) can use the probe 110 a andthe base unit 120 to perform an ultrasound scan. In particular, theoperator can direct the probe 110 a toward the region of interest (e.g.,an organ, a vessel, an internal cavity, etc.) of the patient 1 and usethe probe 110 a to transmit ultrasound signals into the region ofinterest and to receive the corresponding echo signals. The system 100converts one or more characteristics of the received echo signals (e.g.their amplitude, phase, power, frequency shift, etc.) into image datathat is formatted and displayed for the operator as an image on thedisplay 122. In some embodiments, the operator can use the operatorcontrols 124 to input information about the particular region ofinterest, characteristics of the patient 1, or other informationrelevant to the imaging procedure into the system 100.

In some embodiments, the system 100 can include more than one probe thatis compatible with the base unit 120 and that can be operably connectedto the base unit 120 for performing an ultrasound scan. For example, inaddition to the probe 110 a, the system can include a plurality ofprobes 110 b-110 n (collectively “probes 110”). Each of the probes 110can have generally similar features or components (e.g., a housingenclosing one or more transducer elements configured to transmitultrasound signals), but can have different form factors, operatingfrequencies, focal depths, and/or other characteristics that areoptimized for different imaging functions. Accordingly, as described indetail below, depending on the particular imaging procedure to becarried out on the patient 1, a particular one or ones of the probes 110may be more appropriate (e.g., better suited, customized, adapted, etc.)for the imaging procedure than the others. In the illustratedembodiment, each of the probes 110 includes a corresponding signal cable130 (labeled individually as signal cables 130 b-130 n) for operablycoupling the probes 110 to the base unit 120. In other embodiments, theprobes 110 can be configured for wireless communication and operationwith the base unit 120. In some embodiments, the base unit 120 can beoperably connected to more than one of the probes 110 at the same time.

As further illustrated in FIG. 1, each of the probes 110 includes awireless tag 115 (labeled individually as wireless tags 115 a-115 n). Insome embodiments, the wireless tags 115 are active or passiveradio-frequency identification (RFID) tags such as, for example,Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags. As described in detail below withreference to FIG. 2, the base unit 120 is configured for wirelesscommunication with the wireless tags 115 to, for example, determine thatsome or all of the probes 110 are located proximate to the base unit 120and/or to receive supplemental data (e.g., supplemental information)about the probes 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the wireless tags115 are shown affixed to the exterior of the housing of the probes 110.In other embodiments, the wireless tags 115 can be integrated with orembedded within the probes 110, or the signal cables 130 that connectthe probes 110 to the base unit 120.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of various electronic components of thesystem 100 shown in FIG. 1 configured in accordance with an embodimentof the present technology. In the illustrated embodiment, the system 100includes transducer electronics 240 at each of the probes 110, base unitelectronics 250 at the base unit 120, and wireless tag electronics 260at each of the wireless tags 115. In the following description,reference is made to the probe 110 a and wireless tag 115 a shown inFIG. 1 for the sake of clarity.

The transducer electronics 240 can drive a transducer array 241, such asan array of piezoelectric transducer elements, located at the scan headregion 114 of the probe 110 a. The transducer electronics 240 can alsoinclude one or more driver circuits 242 configured to supply drivingvoltage to the piezoelectric transducer elements in such a fashion thatan ultrasound beam is produced in a desired direction. The transducerelectronics 240 can also include, for example, waveform generators 243,amplifiers 244, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) 245, and otherultrasound signal processing components (e.g., a CPU, controller,transmit/receive beam forming circuitry, etc.). In some embodiments, atleast a portion of the transducer electronics 240 can be located at thebase unit 120. In some embodiments, for example where the probe 110 a isconfigured for wireless operation with the base unit 120 without thesignal cable 130 a, the transducer electronics 240 can further include apower source 249 (e.g., a battery).

The base unit electronics 250 include a central-processing unit (“CPU”)251, input/out devices (I/O) devices 254, communication components 257,and a power source 259. The CPU 251 includes a programmable processor(microprocessor, GPU, DSP or equivalent logic circuits, or a combinationthereof) 253 configured to execute instructions stored in a memory 252or operate as configured in order to perform various processes, logicflows, and routines. The I/O devices 254 can include, for example, thedisplay 122, the operator controls 124, one or more microphones 255, oneor more speakers 256, USB ports, EKG ports, HDMI ports, and/or othersuitable components. The communication components 257 can include, forexample, signal buses coupled to the I/O ports 126, a suitable networkadaptor, a wireless transceiver (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or cellulartransceiver), or other suitable components for communication overcomputer communication links (LAN, WAN, Internet etc.) through a wired(e.g., Ethernet, USB, Thunderbolt, Firewire, or the like) or wireless(e.g., 802.11, cellular, satellite, Bluetooth, or the like)communication link. As further illustrated in FIG. 2, the communicationcomponents 257 include one or more wireless antennas 258 forreceiving/transmitting wireless signals from/to the wireless tags 115 inone or more of the probes 110. In a particular embodiment, the wirelessantennas 258 are configured for communication with the wireless tags 115via a Bluetooth connection.

In the illustrated embodiment, the wireless tag electronics 260 are notpowered by the same power source that powers (e.g., are separate from)the transducer electronics 240. Accordingly, the wireless tag 115 a caninclude a separate power source 262. In some embodiments, the powersource 262 is a CR2032 lithium coin battery or other suitable battery.In other embodiments, the wireless tag electronics 260 can be at leastpartially coupled to or integrated with the transducer electronics 240(e.g., sharing a common power source). As shown, the wireless tagelectronics 260 further include a memory 264, and a transceiver 266configured for wireless communication with the base unit electronics 250via a BLE or other suitable connection. In some embodiments, thewireless tag electronics 260 further include a speaker 268 or otheroutput device, and/or a GPS receiver or other location detectionreceiver.

The memory 264 can be a read-only non-volatile memory storingsupplemental data about the probe 110 a. For example, the data stored inthe memory 264 can include information about invariable orsemi-invariable properties or attributes of the probe 110 a, such as itsphysical, operational, or functional characteristics (e.g., a centerfrequency, a shape (e.g., curved or linear), etc.), procedures generallyperformed with the probe (e.g., cardiac, abdominal, musculoskeletal,etc.), a type of patient the probe is generally used with (e.g., adult,pediatric, infant, etc.), serial numbers, warranty information,ownership information, usage information, etc. In some embodiments, thememory 264 can be a programmable memory (e.g., an electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EEPROM)) that can be erased andreprogrammed to store data about varying attributes or properties of theprobe 110 a. For example, the data stored in the memory 264 can includeinformation about: a cleaning history of the probe 110 a (e.g.,information about the last use and/or cleaning of the probe 110 a);maintenance history or a maintenance schedule of the probe 110 a (e.g.,information about a date and/or time when the last current leakage orother integrity test was performed on the probe 110 a, a date and/ortime of the next scheduled integrity test for the probe 110 a, a powerlevel of the power source 262 of the wireless tag electronics 260, adate/time when the power source 249 and/or the power source 262 werelast replaced, etc.); historical usage of the probe 110 a (e.g.,information about when the probe 110 a was last used, the user and/orusage time, non-identifying patient data such as the number and type ofpatients on which the probe 110 a was used, ultrasound procedures theprobe 110 a was previously used for, whether there were transducerelement failures with the probe 110 a during a previous use, etc.); anassigned location or storage site of the probe 110 a (e.g., informationthat the probe 110 a is normally stored in a particular drawer, cabinet,etc., within a particular examination room); an actual or averagelocation of the probe 110 a based on one or more detected GPS or Wi-Fisignals; a preferred status of the probe 110 a (e.g., that the probe 110a is preferred by a certain operator, for a particular imagingprocedure, etc.); and/or other properties or attributes of the probe 110a that may be relevant to an operator of the system 100.

In operation, the wireless tag 115 a can be configured to continuously,nearly-continuously, or intermittently transmit a wireless signal (e.g.,a Bluetooth or BLE signal). The base unit electronics 250 are configuredto determine that the probe 110 a is located proximate to (e.g., locatednearby to, within a predetermined range of, etc.) the base unit 120 bydetecting a wireless signal from the wireless tag 115 a. As described indetail below, the CPU 251 can further process the signal from thewireless tag 115 a and cause one or more of the I/O devices 254 toindicate that the probe 110 a is located nearby to the base unit 120.For example, the CPU 251 can cause the display 122 to display anindication, a graphic, a map, etc., showing that the probe 110 a islocated proximate to the base unit 120 and further showing any of thesupplemental data associated with the probe 110 a.

In some embodiments, where the memory 264 is a programmable memory, theCPU 251 can operate to generate and send one or more update signals tothe wireless tag 115 a for updating the data stored in the memory 264.For example, the base unit electronics 250 can update the data stored inthe memory 264 to reflect the latest cleaning, maintenance, use, storagelocation, etc., of the probe 110 a. More particularly, the operator ofthe system 100 can use the I/O devices 254 to input the updatedinformation into the base unit electronics 250 for transmission to thewireless tag electronics 260. In some embodiments, the base unitelectronics 250 can be programmed or configured to automatically updateany of the data stored by the wireless tag 115 a—for example, during orafter an imaging procedure is performed with the probe 110 a, aftermaintenance is performed on the probe 110 a, etc.

II. SELECTED EMBODIMENTS OF METHODS FOR DETECTING PROXIMATE TRANSDUCERPROBES

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and as set forth above, the system 100is configured to detect that one or more of the probes 110 are locatedproximate to the base unit 120 by detecting signals transmitted by thewireless tags 115. That is, signals from wireless tags 115 of probes 110that are within range of the base unit 120 (e.g., in the same room in amedical facility as the base unit 120) will be detected and those probes110 will be determined to be proximate to the base unit 120, whileprobes 110 that are out of range of the base unit 120 (e.g., in adifferent room in the medical facility) will not be detected by the baseunit 120. The detection of proximate probes 110 may be automaticallyperformed or manually initiated by the operator of the system 100.

In some embodiments, the system 100 can perform a general search todetect each of the probes 110 that are located proximate to the baseunit 120. For example, an automatic search may begin once a user hasspecified various information about the usage of the system 100, such asexam type, patient data, or similar information. In some embodiments,the system 100 may analyze which probes 110 are currently connected tothe base unit 120 to determine if alternative options are required ormore well suited for the various inputted information. In otherembodiments, the operator of the system 100 can initiate a search fornearby probes 110 that have specific attributes by entering informationinto the base unit 120 via the operator controls 124, or by selectingdesired attributes of a particular imaging mode from a menu. The system100 can then analyze the supplemental data received from the wirelesstags 115 to identify the nearby probes 110 having the specifiedattributes. In a particular example, the operator of the system 100could initiate a search for a probe 110 having a specific serial number.The base unit 120 can then send a request message to the wireless tag115 associated with the probe 110 having the specific serial number andthe wireless tag 115 can respond with its location. If the probe 110cannot be detected, the operator could then walk around with orotherwise move the base unit 120 and, when the wireless tag 115associated with the probe 110 having the specific serial number iswithin range, the system 100 could signal (e.g., via the display 122,the speakers 256, or another suitable output device) that the probe 110having the specific serial number is nearby. In another example, theoperator could enter a generic probe type to search for (e.g., a 5 MHzlinear transducer) and the processor of the base unit 120 can transmit arequest for probes 110 having the desired characteristics. If none arefound, the operator can proceed to move the base unit 120 until thesystem 100 identifies a particular probe 110 of that type nearby.

In some embodiments, the system 100 is further configured tospecifically locate the probes 110 relative to the base unit 120. Insome embodiments, for example, in response to an operator selection(e.g., in response to the operator selecting one of the proximate probes110 from a list displayed on the display 122), the base unit 120 cansend an instruction to the wireless tag 115 of the selected probe 110 toproduce a sound via the speaker 268. In some embodiments, the soundproduced via the speaker 268 can be an audible sound (e.g., a chirp)that enables the operator to track and locate the selected probe 110. Inother embodiments, the sound produced via the speaker 268 can be aninaudible sound (e.g., having a frequency of greater than about 20 kHz)that is detectable by the microphones 255 of the base unit electronics250. In other embodiments, the base unit electronics 250 are configuredto determine an approximate direction and/or to triangulate a specificposition of the selected probe 110 relative to the base unit 120 basedon, for example, a time difference between when the microphones 255receive the sound from the wireless tag 115 of the selected probe 110.If the wireless tag electronics 260 include a position sensor (GPSlocator), the location of the selected probe 110 can be sent to the baseunit 120. The determined location or direction of the selected probe 110can be outputted to the operator via the I/O devices 254. In someembodiments, for example, the base unit 120 can be configured togenerate and display one or more directional indicators on the display122. In certain embodiments, the directional indicators can vary inintensity based upon a determined distance from the base unit 120 to theselected probe 110.

In yet other embodiments, the base unit 120 can include multiplewireless antennas 258 each configured (e.g., shaped and positioned) todetect wireless tags 115 located within a certain sector or anglerelative to the base unit 120. For example, the base unit electronics250 could include three wireless antennas 258 each positioned to receivesignals from wireless tags 115 in a different sector spanning about 120°around the base unit 120. Accordingly, based on a particular one of thewireless antennas 258 that detects the selected probe 110, the processorin the base unit 120 can determine an approximate direction or locationof the selected probe 110 relative to the base unit 120. In still otherembodiments, the wireless antennas 258 could partially or fully overlap(e.g., the wireless antennas 258 could each be omnidirectional). In suchembodiments, the time differences between when the different wirelessantennas 258 detect the wireless tag 115 of the selected probe 110 couldbe used to determine an approximate direction and/or a specific positionof the selected probe 110 relative to the base unit 120.

In some embodiments, as described in detail above, the supplemental datastored within the wireless tags 115 includes location or storageinformation about the probes 110, such as a normal storage location foreach of the probes 110. The normal storage locations can be average GPSpositions for the probes 110, or other descriptive information about thestorage location of the probes—for example, that a particular one of theprobes 110 is assigned to and normally stored in a particular drawer ina particular examination room. Accordingly, in such embodiments, thebase unit 120 can simply display or otherwise indicate to the operatorthe assigned (e.g., normal) storage location of a selected probe 110,the owner of the probe, performance capabilities, license data, and/orcost for use.

In certain embodiments, the system 100 can be configured to produce analert (e.g., a visual or audible alert) when a probe 110 is moved out ofrange of the base unit 120 to reduce the likelihood of the probes 110being lost or stolen. For example, if a periodic heart beat signal fromone of the wireless tags 115 is lost (e.g., no longer detected by thebase unit electronics 250) and/or below a threshold level, the system100 can produce an audible alert via the speakers 256 of the base unit120 and/or via the speaker 268 of the wireless tag 115. In someembodiments, the system 100 can interface with multiple wirelessscanners (e.g., Bluetooth scanners) strategically placed within a roomor building to detect if the probes 110 are removed from the room orbuilding.

The current method for detecting and locating nearby transducer probesrequires that the operator of the ultrasound system look around andphysically locate a desired transducer probe. The challenge of findingthe transducer probe can be significant if the transducer probe isinside a drawer or otherwise out of sight—adding significant delay to anultrasound imaging procedure. Accordingly, in contrast to conventionalultrasound systems, the present technology advantageously allows theoperator of an ultrasound system to quickly view and/or locate nearbytransducer probes. In addition, the present technology allows probes tobe managed independently from a CPU system.

III. SELECTED EMBODIMENTS OF METHODS FOR DISPLAYING, FILTERING, ANDSORTING PROXIMATE TRANSDUCER PROBES

With reference to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the base unit 120 isconfigured to display a graphic on the display 122 showing the probes110 that have been detected by the base unit 120 so that the operator ofthe system is informed of what probes 110 are nearby. The graphic can beany visual indication identifying the nearby probes 110 such as, forexample, a list of serial numbers, images, physical characteristics, orother attributes of the probes 110. In some embodiments, the base unit120 can further display all or a portion of the supplemental datareceived from the wireless tags 115 associated with the nearby probes110. For example, the displayed graphic can include separate columnseach identifying a different portion of the supplemental data associatedwith the nearby probes 110 (e.g., cleaning history, maintenanceschedules, etc.). The displayed graphic could also include otherindications based on the supplemental data—such as triangles withexclamation marks to distinguish the nearby probes 110 that needattention for maintenance or cleaning.

In some embodiments, the displayed graphic data can be manually orautomatically sorted, filtered, augmented, etc., based on (i) thesupplemental data received from the wireless tags 115 and/or (ii) anoperator or other input to the system 100. In particular, the data inthe graphic can be updated or modified to distinguish certain ones ofthe nearby probes 110 using, for example, color coding, ranking (e.g.,placing certain probes 110 at the top of a displayed list), listtrimming (e.g., removing certain probes 110 from a displayed list), orany other suitable method or combination thereof for prioritizing,distinguishing, and/or emphasizing certain ones of the probes 110 on thedisplay 122.

In certain embodiments, for example, the operator of the system 100 canfilter or sort the display of nearby probes 110 by manually enteringinformation (e.g., a specific probe attribute) via the operator controls124, and the base unit 120 can update, modify, etc., the data in thegraphic on the display 122 to show the nearby probes 110 that have thatattribute. For example, an ultrasound technician responsible formaintenance of the system 100 may want to filter the display of nearbyprobes 110 to show those that require maintenance or cleaning, while asonographer may want to filter the display of nearby probes 110 to showthose that have specific physical characteristics appropriate for animaging procedure to be carried out by the sonographer. In eitherinstance, the relevant probes 110 could be displayed alone, displayed atthe top of a list, displayed in a certain color, etc., in order todistinguish the probes 110 having the specified attribute to theultrasound technician/sonographer.

In some embodiments, the current operator of the system 100 may entertheir identity (e.g., ultrasound technician, sonographer, etc.) and thedisplay of nearby probes 110 may be updated to distinguish those nearbyprobes 110 that may be more pertinent to the current operator. Forexample, those proximate probes 110 that need maintenance or cleaningmay be more pertinent to the ultrasound technician, while the oppositeis likely true for a sonographer seeking a probe for a current imagingprocedure. In yet another example, the supplemental data may includeinformation about sonographers' preferred probes 110 (e.g., historicalusage information), and the system 100 can display and/or distinguishthose probes 110 after determining the identity of the sonographer usingthe system 100.

In some embodiments, the current operator may not be familiar with theexam room and location of probes. The operator may display a list of allprobes available for use which may include drawer location, licenseinformation, owner, cost for use, performance capabilities, systemcompatibility, etc. For example, if the probes are managed by a thirdparty, newer or more capable probes (e.g. those having fewer deadelements, increased element count, lower loss, etc.) may be presentedand cost the operator more for usage.

In some embodiments, the display of nearby probes 110 may be updated todistinguish at least one appropriate (e.g., suitable, preferred, etc.)or more appropriate one of the proximate probes 110 for an imagingprocedure to be carried out on the patient 1. FIG. 3, for example, is aflow diagram of a process or method 300 of selecting a nearby probe foran ultrasound imaging procedure using the system 100 in accordance withembodiments of the present technology.

Beginning at block 302, the method 300 includes detecting the probes 110that are located proximate to the base unit 120 and receivingsupplemental data from the wireless tags 115 associated with the nearbyprobes 110, as described in detail above. At block 304, the methodincludes receiving information about the imaging procedure and/orinformation about the patient 1. In some embodiments, for example, theoperator (e.g., the sonographer) can use the operator controls 124 ofthe base unit 120 to enter or select information about the particularregion of interest to be imaged, a particular feature to be imaged, thesize/weight/height/age or other characteristic of the patient 1, etc. Ina particular example, the operator of the system 100 could specify thatthe imaging procedure is a peripheral vascular examination and that thetargeted structure is a varicose vein located near the skin surface ofthe patient 1.

At block 306, the method 300 includes determining which, if any, of thenearby probes 110 are appropriate for the specific imaging procedure andpatient. In some embodiments, the determination can be based at least inpart on predetermined rules and/or historical data about probes used inprevious imaging procedures and on patients having certaincharacteristics. The predetermined rules and historical data can bestored in the memory of the base unit 120 or otherwise made accessibleto the base unit 120. Continuing the particular example set forth above,the base unit 120 may determine that probes 110 having a higherfrequency (e.g., 7.5 MHz) as opposed to a lower frequency (e.g., 5 MHz)are more appropriate for the peripheral vascular examination because thetargeted varicose vein is located near the surface and thus theultrasound waves need not penetrate as deeply and the resolution neededto find the vein is better with a high frequency probe.

As further examples of the determination at block 306, the base unit 120can determine that a probe 110 having a curved transducer array thatoperates between 1-5 MHz is most appropriate for imaging procedures thatare abdominal, spinal, pulmonary, gynecological, musculoskeletal, and/orobstetric examinations. Further, in some embodiments, the base unit 120can determine that a probe 110 having a linear transducer array thatoperates between 3-12 MHz is most appropriate for imaging proceduresthat are superficial, breast, arterial, venous, and/or ophthalmicexaminations. Likewise, in certain embodiments, the base unit 120 candetermine that a probe 110 having a phased transducer array thatoperates between 1-5 MHz is most appropriate for imaging procedures thatare neurovascular examinations.

At block 308, the method 300 includes displaying a graphic of theappropriate nearby probes 110 on the display 122. As set forth in detailabove, the graphic can suitably distinguish (e.g., via color coding,ranking, etc.) the appropriate nearby probes 110 from the inappropriateor less appropriate nearby probes 110, or can list only the appropriatenearby probes 110. For example, the appropriate nearby probes 110 couldbe displayed at the top of a list of all nearby probes. In someembodiments, the method 300 may return to block 304 as the operatorenters additional information about the patient 1 and/or the currentimaging procedure. The method 300 can then proceed again through blocks306 and 308 to further update the display of appropriate nearby probes110. For example, the method 300 may proceed until only a single nearbyprobe 110 is displayed. If no appropriate probes 110 are detected, thegraphic can include an indication that no appropriate probes 110 arenearby and, in some embodiments, can provide an indication of adetermined next-best nearby probe 110 and/or an indication instructingthe operator to search for nearby probes 110 in a different location(e.g., by moving the base unit 120 to another examination room in amedical facility).

In some embodiments, the system 100 can be configured to detect that oneor more of the probes 110 are connected to the base unit 120 (e.g., viacorresponding ones of the signal cables 130). Accordingly, the method300 can further include determining whether the one or more connectedprobes 110 include the appropriate probes 110 as determined at block306. If the determined appropriate probe 110 is not connected to thebase unit 120, the method 300 can further include providing anindication or alert on the display 122 that the appropriate probe 110 isnearby but is not currently connected to the base unit 120. That is, thesystem 100 may prompt the operator to connect a different one of thenearby probes 110.

Some ultrasound imaging procedures are advantageously performed usingtwo or more different probes (e.g., having different physicalcharacteristics). Accordingly, in some embodiments, the method 300 caninclude determining two or more appropriate probes 110 based on receivedor selected information about the imaging procedure and/or the patient1. In such embodiments, at block 308, the method 300 can includedisplaying the two or more appropriate probes 110 ordered or otherwisedistinguished, for example, based on their presumptive order of useduring the imaging procedure. Where the base unit 120 can be connectedto two more of the probes 110, the display of nearby probes 110 canfurther include an indication of a particular I/O port 126 in which eachof the appropriate probes 110 should be connected.

Current ultrasound systems rely on the experience of the operator andthe records of the facility housing the ultrasound system to guide theoperator in selecting a particular probe for a particular examination orfor cleaning, maintenance, etc. In particular, it may be difficult forultrasound technicians to reliably locate probes that need service, andsonographers may often select an inappropriate or less appropriate probefor a procedure than what is available nearby. Accordingly, in contrastto conventional ultrasound systems, the present technologyadvantageously permits operators to search for nearby probes havingparticular attributes of interest and can also guide operators in theselection of the most appropriate available probe.

IV. CONCLUSION

Embodiments of the subject matter and the operations described in thisspecification can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or incomputer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structuresdisclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents, or incombinations of one or more of them. Embodiments of the subject matterdescribed in this specification can be implemented as one or morecomputer programs, i.e., one or more modules of computer programinstructions, encoded on computer storage medium for execution by, or tocontrol the operation of, data processing apparatus.

A computer storage medium can be, or can be included in, acomputer-readable storage device, a computer-readable storage substrate,a random or serial access memory array or device, or a combination ofone or more of them. Moreover, while a computer storage medium is not apropagated signal, a computer storage medium can be a source ordestination of computer program instructions encoded in anartificially-generated propagated signal. The computer storage mediumalso can be, or can be included in, one or more separate physicalcomponents or media (e.g., multiple CDs, disks, or other storagedevices). The operations described in this specification can beimplemented as operations performed by a data processing apparatus ondata stored on one or more computer-readable storage devices or receivedfrom other sources.

The term “processor” encompasses all kinds of apparatus, devices, andmachines for processing data, including by way of example a programmableprocessor, a computer, a system on a chip, or multiple ones, orcombinations, of the foregoing. The apparatus can include specialpurpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array)or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). The apparatus alsocan include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an executionenvironment for the computer program in question, e.g., code thatconstitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database managementsystem, an operating system, a cross-platform runtime environment, avirtual machine, or a combination of one or more of them. The apparatusand execution environment can realize various different computing modelinfrastructures, such as web services, distributed computing and gridcomputing infrastructures.

A computer program (also known as a program, software, softwareapplication, script, or code) can be written in any form of programminglanguage, including compiled or interpreted languages, declarative orprocedural languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as astand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, object, orother unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computerprogram may, but need not, correspond to a file in a file system. Aprogram can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programsor data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup languagedocument), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or inmultiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules,sub-programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployedto be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are locatedat one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by acommunication network.

The processes and logic flows described in this specification can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs to perform actions by operating on input data andgenerating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performedby, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logiccircuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC(application-specific integrated circuit).

Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from aread-only memory or a random access memory or both. The essentialelements of a computer are a processor for performing actions inaccordance with instructions and one or more memory devices for storinginstructions and data. To provide for interaction with a user,embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can beimplemented on a imaging system having a display device, e.g., an LCD(liquid crystal display), LED (light emitting diode), or OLED (organiclight emitting diode) monitor, for displaying information to theoperator and a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or atrackball, by which the operator can provide input to the computer. Insome implementations, a touch screen can be used to display informationand to receive input from a user. Other kinds of devices can be used toprovide for interaction with an operator as well; for example, feedbackprovided to the operator can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g.,visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input fromthe operator can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, ortactile input.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments ofthe technology have been described herein for purposes of illustration,but that various modifications may be made without deviating from thedisclosure. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by theappended claims. Furthermore, certain aspects of the new technologydescribed in the context of particular embodiments may also be combinedor eliminated in other embodiments. Moreover, although advantagesassociated with certain embodiments of the new technology have beendescribed in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments mayalso exhibit such advantages and not all embodiments need necessarilyexhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the technology.Accordingly, the disclosure and associated technology can encompassother embodiments not expressly shown or described herein.

I/We claim:
 1. An ultrasound system, comprising: transducer probeshaving wireless tags configured to store transducer probe data about thetransducer probes; and a base unit including a memory storinginstructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions tocause the processor to: receive the transducer probe data from thewireless tags; receive ultrasound procedure data about a currentultrasound procedure for the ultrasound system; and select onetransducer probe of the transducer probes for the current ultrasoundprocedure based on at least one of the transducer probe data or theultrasound procedure data.
 2. The ultrasound system of claim 21 whereinthe processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause theprocessor to produce an indication that the one transducer probe is tobe used for the current ultrasound procedure.
 3. The ultrasound systemof claim 21 wherein the processor is configured to execute theinstructions to cause the processor to update the transducer probe datain one or more of the wireless tags in one or more of the transducerprobes.
 4. The ultrasound system of claim 21 wherein the processor isconfigured to execute the instructions to cause the processor to performa search with respect to the transducer probes.
 5. The ultrasound systemof claim 1 wherein the ultrasound procedure data includes at least oneof a region of interest or a physical characteristic of the patient. 6.The ultrasound system of claim 1 wherein the transducer probe dataincludes a transducer probe characteristic.
 7. The ultrasound system ofclaim 1 wherein the processor is configured to cause an alert toindicate one or more of the transducer probes are out of range of thebase unit.
 8. The ultrasound system of claim 1 further comprising adisplay coupled to the base unit, wherein the processor is configured toexecute the instructions to cause the processor to generate transducerprobe information on the display based on a current operator informationfor the system.
 9. A method for use by an ultrasound system havingtransducer probes and a base unit with a processor, the methodcomprising: receiving, by the processor, transducer probe data fromwireless tags of the transducer probes; receiving, by the processor,ultrasound procedure data about a current ultrasound procedure for theultrasound system; and selecting, by the processor, one transducer probeof the transducer probes for the current ultrasound procedure based onat least one of the transducer probe data or the ultrasound proceduredata.
 10. The method of claim 9 further comprising producing anindication that the one transducer probe is to be used for the currentultrasound procedure.
 11. The method of claim 9 further comprisingupdating the transducer probe data in one or more of the wireless tagsin one or more of the transducer probes.
 12. The method of claim 9further comprising performing a search with respect to the transducerprobes.
 13. The method of claim 9 wherein the ultrasound procedure dataincludes at least one of a region of interest or a physicalcharacteristic of the patient.
 14. The method of claim 9 wherein thetransducer probe data includes a transducer probe characteristic. 15.The method of claim 9 further comprising generating an alert to indicateone or more of the transducer probes are out of range of the base unit.16. The method of claim 9 further comprising selecting, based on acurrent operator information, and displaying transducer probeinformation on a display of the ultrasound system.
 17. An ultrasoundsystem, comprising: transducer probes having wireless tags configured tostore transducer probe data about the transducer probes; and a base unitincluding a memory storing instructions and a processor configured toexecute the instructions to cause the processor to: receive thetransducer probe data from the wireless tags; determine that at leastone transducer probe of the transducer probes is located proximate tothe base unit; and produce an indication of the at least one transducerprobe.
 18. The ultrasound system of claim 17 wherein the processor isfurther configured to execute the instructions to cause the processor todetermine the at least one transducer probe based on at least one of acurrent ultrasound procedure or patient data.
 19. The ultrasound systemof claim 17, further comprising: a display device coupled to the baseunit, and wherein the indication of the at least one transducer probe isdisplayed on the display device.
 20. The ultrasound system of claim 17,wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to causethe processor to detect a wireless signal from the at least onetransducer probe to determine that the at least one transducer probe ofthe transducer probes is located proximate to the base unit.